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The Tribunal System in Northern Ireland

What to do if you have a dispute at work

Problems at work over employment rights and responsibilities thankfully don't affect everyone; but they can affect anyone, so you need to know what to do if you find yourself facing a dispute. If you have a problem with something that's happened at work, there are several ways of dealing with the situation. You should familiarise yourself with these and consider all your options before you think about taking your case to a tribunal. In fact, since 3rd April 2005, you must usually follow three basic steps before you can bring a tribunal claim.

What is the tribunal system?

Tribunals offer a legal solution to employment disputes. They are like courts, though they are not as formal as the civil courts. So when might you use a tribunal?

There will always be occasions when, no matter how hard you try, you can't solve a problem at work. It is here that the tribunal system comes into its own. Tribunals can hear a case and make a legal decision based on the evidence presented to them.

The decision is arrived at by the legally qualified chairperson and experienced lay members of the tribunal panel hearing your case. You can only appeal against the decision in limited circumstances.

In Northern Ireland, there are two types of employment tribunal. Industrial tribunals deal with most employment disputes, including complaints relating to unfair dismissal, wages, sex discrimination, breach of contract, and so on. The Fair Employment Tribunal deals with religious or political discrimination in employment.